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Poured from a pint nitro can into a shaker. A careful pour produces about an inch of creamy, velvety tan head. I can only see light through the beer by using my Mini-Maglite, and then only a distant red orb within a deep dark brown. The head reduces to about a half inch and sticks around for the duration.

Lots of mineral qualities in both the aroma and flavor, along with an underlying caramel-molasses and light, nutty, bittering hops. A certain perceived sweetness dissipates toward the finish, which is rather dry. Creamy mouthfeel yet with a light body overall.

A flavorful brew and very quaffable. I think it is definitely superior to the Guinness available in the U.S.

Yeah, I've had plenty of craft beers....IPAs,,.....imperial stouts,...you name it....I try them. Many are great. But I believe both Guinness and Murphy's get a bad rating because they are very popular. Both are probably the best pour in beer, period. Great tasting. Very nice and smooth.

Sure they are not complex by any means. But they are both great beers. And this website should acknowledge that.

I decent dry Irish stout, and an underated one too. First brewed in 1856, it's breweries and water have been blessed by bishops too -- if that counts for anything.

In my opinion ... comparable to any other Irish stout that hides its flavour behind a creamy, milky, nitro-induced mask. They might not have the marketing muscle of Guinness, but still worth a try for what it is.

Living in Boston I have grown to loathe Guinness, Murphy&#8217;s is now my choice at many of the Irish pubs I may walk into. Murphy&#8217;s has a full flavor without too much bitterness, the creamy smoothness makes me want to quaff more than just a couple pints. It has the trade mark appearance of any other Irish stout but hands down it is the best as far as flavour.

Very very dark, smooth fine head, but not much of one. Descends but stays awhile.

Very little aroma of any kind.

Very little taste of any kind. Watery feel, bland, and boring.

The can was the most exciting/interesting thing about Murphy's. The only balls it has is in the can, rolling around. Gimmick.. Will save the others for relatives/furniture polish.

Pass on this and get a craft American Stout or Black Ale. These must have been changed since Heineken took over. Can't imagine that this is what it used to be, Not worth half the price.
Nutshell - Flat, odorless, watery, tasteless - 4 things a real stout isn't.

T- Oh wow. The first taste is a solid punch of roasted malt. The creaminess quickly follows and then tapers out to the roasty coffee finish and a slightly bitter dark chocolate aftertaste. All flavours one should expect from a stout but the intensity and the way in which they are presented is just exceptional.

F- Insanely creamy medium body (thanks to the Nitro widget) and a low level of nitro bubbles. Perfect for a good Irish Stout.

O- I've always been a big fan of Guinness but have grown to find it a little light over the years. I'm happy to say that Murphy's has filled in the void for me and I now have a new go-to stout. Absolutely exceptional appearance, aroma, flavour, feel... everything is top notch.

A - This beer is pitch black in appearance so that the carbonation cannot be ascertained from looking at it. The head is very creamy, 1 finger in height, and dissipates to a thin lacing by the end of the tasting. Head is light tan in appearance. 4/5

S - Very dark malt permeates every bit of the aroma and is backed up by espresso, charred wood, cocoa powder, and an earthy hop profile. Not very sweet smelling, much more on the roasted side of things. 3.75/5

T - Dark chocolate, espresso, and roasted dark malt dominates the taste profile throughout the entire tasting. There is a slight sweetness as if from a cereal malt but this is not a caramel sweetness. More roasted than toasted or caramelized. There is a bit of grassy and earthy hops on the back end but the bitterness seems to come mainly from the malt itself. 4/5

M - Medium bodied stout that is dry throughout with a dry finish, although not as dry as many IPAs are. The dryness is a step below those. Very smooth but with a light carb burn and a lightness that is evocative of the style. 4/5

O - This is not a stout that is thick, creamy, and bursting with sweet flavors. This one is truly dry throughout in order to stand up to some heavy Irish/English fare. Great with fish and chips. Not overly bitter but definitely not a sweet stout either. 4/5

Had this on-tap just for the hell of it. I've had it canned before, and my beer tastes have developed quite a bit since then, but still, this tastes almost exactly like Guinness draft.. I don't understand the high rating on here. It looks neat when poured due to the nitro, however, it still tastes like someone took a very mediocre stout and added a whole bunch of water. Well overpriced for what you get. I will not give this beer three strikes; two tries were enough for Murphy's.

In the Glass: This beer poured thick, and with a TON of bubbles. Not overly carbonated, but just the way this style was pours. If you ever see a bar pour a Guinness, a similar style, they will take several minutes to properly pour the beer. I am not sure the saying… but I think it is supposed to take 90 seconds, or more to properly pour a Guinness. That is what this beer reminds me of. The head, by the time the beer settles, is thick and creamy. That is the best way to explain this beer. Creamy. The beer has a nice lace, too.

Nose: There isn't a lot of aroma here, but what I am getting is a hint of chocolate. I have to take a deep breath to get much. I am also blown away with the low ABV on this can. 4% isn't even enough to write home about. Of course, at 4% I could drink a gallon of this and not even know it! I hope the flavor is better than the aroma.

Flavor: This is better than Guinness… a little more flavor than Guinness. Sorry I keep comparing this beer to that, but that is what it reminds me of. I just took a bite of BBQ, and they were right… it IS a good pairing. I must say, I wouldn't order this in a bar. I WOULD order this when in Ireland, but I wouldn't order it here. Beers over there taste better, anyway.

Mouthfeel: Creamy. It looked creamy in the glass and has a very thick and creamy mouthfeel. I bet this beer would taste best room temperature in a room temperature glass. Typically I like beers with low carbonation, and while there are a lot of bubbles in the glass, the beer isn't very carbonated. I even swished the last drink around in my mouth, and nothing. Quite frankly, the flavor is boring. I will say I am not getting the metallic flavor that I expect from most Irish dry stouts.

Aftertaste: What aftertaste? I drink, there is a hint of flavor, and then it's gone again. There is literally no aftertaste here. I also like how they spell draft. On the can it says, "DRAUGHT STYLE". That is not how you spell draft! Oh well. I will give this beer credit for the style… but just not for me.

The nitrogenation may give this a misleadingly high score, owing to what it imbues to the look, feel, and even odor.
The beer, however, is just fine. That being said, I find it far from the best example of the style, given the ubiquity of nitro stouts, these days. A strange sweetness runs amok in a beer too thin for its own good, with an excellent aftertaste of caramel, chocolate, and coffee.

L: Looks... like a Guinness. Pours a deep inky black. Thick creamy dark brown head that lasts the entire pint.

S: Roasted malts. Sweet and tart.

T/F: Tasted... also like a Guinness. Dry with roasted malts. Nutty and a bit of a tartness from the roast. Slightly bitter hops at the finish. Very smooth and creamy... great carbonation. Just like they intended on nitro. Medium body.

O: Virtually indistinguishable from a Guinness... and I doubt I could tell them apart on a side to side pour/taste test (that being said... those are fighting words in parts of Ireland). That's not necessarily a bad thing. Very good fresh and on draft.

I won't say this is better or worse than bottled imperial or oatmeal stouts–its just a different style. At first I thought it was flat in comparison, but after a couple I slowly began to appreciate the silky smooth qualities that you won't find in most bottled stouts.

Look:

This beer is beautiful. The cascade effect and the stark contrast between the deep black body and the creamy tan head is gorgeous. If you're drinking this straight from the can you're really missing out. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful beer in a can or bottle.

Smell:

Smells nice, not pronounced much. Roasty and malty with a little sweetness and bitter expresso.

Taste:

Not quite as flavorful as an Old Rasputin per say, but its got a very enjoyable flavor profile. Sweet caramel at the beginning, a roasty coffee, and then a bitter, dry, chocolatey-expresso finish. Great balance of malts and hops.

A great example of the style. If you like the nitro effect of a stout on draft, you ought to try this. Murphy's makes a great dessert beer that can be slowly enjoyed anywhere anytime. Additionally, its smooth mouthfeel and lower level of carbonation means that 2 or 3 of these could go down easier than you'd think.

I have drank this a few times in the last few weeks and hope it gets better each time I drink it but it dont.A very nice looking black with a good creamy head that stays but there isnt much aroma a slight roasted smell but not much there.Taste is on the dry side with some light roasted malt flavors but a little watery taste to it somewhat bland.My best friend just got back from Ireland and said Murphys was the cheap beer to get in the pubs there,of the big 3 Guinness,Beamish,and this of Irish dry stouts I give this the lowest rating.

Appearance  Almost black in color with a wonderful, tan, cascading nitro head.

Smell  Subtle yet pleasing roasted malts along with some sweetened cocoa powder and maybe some coffee with a dash of cream.

Taste  Again, subtle at the taste. I lost the smidgen of chocolate at the tongue but the remaining flavors from the nose were well-blended and pleasant.

Mouthfeel  I thought that this was the Stouts strong point. This one was super creamy and smooth. It was light in the body and went down like silk.

Drinkability  If you are looking for engine oil stout or some West Coast hop monster then pass this one by. But, if you want something mellow or something you can drink all afternoon than pick up a few of these.

I drank this straight from the can, soooo I wont be able to tell you my experience of the appearance, but from memory it pours dark/black with a decent creamy head.
When I popped this open after the nitrous fizz cleared I gave it a good sniff and got hints of roasted malts and grain. I took the first sip and it was nice and creamy mouth feel, like a good irish stout should feel. I let it sit out to warm it up a little, because I do hate having a stout to cold and it masks the flavor. So during that first sip I got the flavors of roasted malts and grains, something sweet along the lines of maybe a little caramel or syrup, but for the most part a milky malty beverage. This beer is definitely a fullbody almost milkshakey like beverage. When I drink these I like to enjoy a few, so the drinkability is there, either a sipper or a kick back and drink type of beer as well.

Had in a nitro-can poured into a glass. The color is very dark with a creamy head that was a pale shade of tan. The nitro-can aids in the creation of a head comprised of very fine bubbles that will last forever. The beer is a bit thin but the head helps it feel creamy and smooth, and the carbonation isn't very impeding (or very noticeable at all for that matter). Roasted grains and coffee flavored, overall kind of weak but very easy to drink. I like to think of this as a "better" version of the Guinness Draught that many places sell.

Overall, this is a decent Irish stout which is readily available at many places. At only 4% ABV, it makes for a great session beer that can be knocked back with ease. Plus, it tastes pretty good.

One of the best style of beer to look at is the Irish Dry Stout. Cascading nitro style waiting period. Dark brown to black, sticky, fully coated lacing. Carbonation is almost non-existent after the pour completes itself.

Some charred barley, but like most from this style it is on the easy drinking, creamy, laid back. Watered taste, milky mouthfeel, and the drinkability is average just because I can't see myself looking forward to this or pursuing it any time soon. Once again another brew I'd prefer to try on tap, without the nitro blasting ball, but for this review in a can its simply uneventfull.